Heal The Pain In The Heart
by WriterC
Summary: A continuation of that fateful episode, just to make us feel better. Booth takes Brennan home. Hurt/comfort, angst, fluff and humour ensue.


**_A/N: Hey everyone! I know this comes a little late, but I wanted to post it anyway. It's a post-ep oneshot to make us feel better about the season finale (it had me depressed for a week). It contains some hurt/comfort of course, fluff, angst and humour. For the people who are reading Never Say Never (co-written with Magali under the penname 'C.M. Bones'); the final chapters are almost finished!_**

_**Spoilers: The Verdict in the Story; The Wannabe in the Weeds; The Pain in the Heart**_

**_Good reading!_**

**_--_**

**Heal The Pain In The Heart**

"Okay," he sighed eventually, "I'm gonna take you home, Bones. Let's go."

She lifted her head off his shoulder and stood up with him. They mounted the stairs in silence. Right before they entered the room where the others were, Booth turned to his heart-broken partner and looked deeply into her eyes as he gently squeezed her shoulder.

_It's going to be okay._

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

They entered together and immediately all faces turned to them as the lab fell quiet. All were very concerned about the impact Zack's betrayal would have on their co-worker. First Booth's death – albeit a fake one – and now her protégé, the man she raised in the lab, had done something unforgiveable. It was a hell of a lot to digest, even for her.

Angela was the first to say something.

"Sweetie, are you going to be okay?"

Angela approached her best friend and took her cold hands in hers. Brennan blinked and opened her mouth to speak, but Booth forestalled her.

"I was just taking her home," he said, and guided her away from the group with his arm around her shoulders. "I'll make sure she's comfortable before I leave," he mouthed to Angela, purposefully ignoring Sweets' thoughtful gaze.

Angela, Hodgins, Cam and Sweets all watched the partners as they walked out the big glass doors, Brennan still clutching the letter in her hands as if it would keep Zack with her.

--

"You know how sorry I am for you, Bones, don't you? We all feel that this is hardest for you."

"I know," she replied quietly as she continued to look out the window, the city lights sweeping over her features as they passed the buildings on the way to her apartment building.

They reached the parking lot and got out of the car. With an air of matter-of-factness, Booth walked his partner to her door and went in behind her.

"Want a drink?" she asked him and opened the door of her fridge. It was easier to have something to do than to do nothing and think.

"Sure, whatever you're having," he replied and shrugged off his jacket, taking a seat on her couch. He gazed at the bookcases above and around her door, and was momentarily awed by Temperance Brennan's brilliant brain. She was a few years younger than he and had achieved at least twice what he had. Sometimes, he realised that there was an entirely different world in which she spent most of her time and of which he didn't understand the first thing. It was called Science and had its own language, customs and traditions. It was as familiar to her as people were to him, and she was as estranged from human contact as he of that world. And then her upbringing in foster homes; abandoned, a little girl so alone, yet able to face the world on her own. Her experiences stood in stark contrast with the world as he knew it. It was to be called a miracle that they got along so well.

But tonight, he was here to make sure that her world of Science wasn't about to fall apart as well. What Zack did and what it made him had hurt her deeply, and frankly, he didn't know what to say to her, or how to make it better. He fixed things, it's what he did, but this was a tricky case.

With dull eyes, Brennan put down the beer in front of him and sat down next to him, her elbows leaning on her knees, her head bowed. He couldn't see if she was crying or if she was still numb.

"Thanks," he said awkwardly. He decided to take a sip and she did the same. It was awfully quiet.

"I'm going to miss him."

Finally. She'd said something.

"Me too. Bones, listen. There is something that Zack wanted me to give you at the right moment, but," he paused as he got something from his pocket. A folded piece of paper. "I don't think there'll ever be a right moment, so I'm just going to give it to you now."

He handed her the paper, and she set down her beer. She unfolded it with curious eyes, and started to read out loud. Booth could hear it too, she had no secrets for him. Besides, it was easier to read it aloud, so that it was like they read it together, and she preferred not to do it alone.

She cleared her throat as tears already began to blur her vision at the mere sight of his words.

"_Dear Doctor Brennan,_" it began, and she wiped a few tears from her cheeks, obviously trying to pull herself together. "_I know that I have broken the rules, and I feel deeply guilty about that, because I am, in fact, guilty. However, I am not sorry. I realise that you do not accept the Master's logic, which leads me to conclude that you must be angry with me for what I have done. As I think about this, I experience a feeling of someone stabbing me, and my hands start hurting. This means that you being mad at me upsets me, and my train of thought leads me to believe that this emotion is caused by the fact that you are important to me. I also understand, and I hope you will, too, Doctor Brennan, that this emotion is a sign that I will never forget you or what you've done for me. I acknowledge that I have made a mistake and I accept my punishment. You are the best teacher I could wish for, Doctor Brennan, and I wish to express my gratitude via this note. So; thank you. And I hope you will not be mad at me for too long. Yours truly, Dr Zack Addy."_

"He must have had a nurse write it down for him when he was in the hospital," Booth said to no one in particular. Then his attention was drawn to his partner sitting next to him, her face buried in her hands, Zack's goodbye-note lying in her lap. Her shoulders were shaking and the sounds of her sobbing cut straight through his heart. He was her protector, but he could not protect her from this grief. All he could do was to be there for her.

Tentatively, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and when she didn't edge away or protest, he scooted closer to her and pulled her against his chest. She cried in his shoulder and he couldn't prevent a couple of his own tears wetting his cheeks.

He leaned back into the couch and pulled her with him, prepared to hold her until her crying would ease. But instead of easing, her sobs became louder, and at some point, he felt the urge to tell her to breathe in and out calmly, for she was on the verge of hyperventilation.

"Shh, Bones, it's all right, I'm here," he started to hush her. She did not need to pass out from lack of oxygen here.

"B-Booth..."

"What is it, Bones?"

"I- I did cry for... All the time, when- when I was alone... b-because you were dead," she admitted between sobs.

"Oh, Bones..." the woman had officially broken his heart. "_Thank God_," he whispered.

"W-what?"

"It's okay Bones, let it all out," he told her as he softly patted her back.

"That was it. Just you and Zack. There's nothing else."

Okay. Well _that _was evidence that there was more.

"You can tell me Bones. Don't be ashamed, we're all sad."

"Maybe... I'm also crying because my father almost got convicted and- and subsequently put to death, but- but that's all. Dad, you, and Zack. Is it really normal for me to cry so much?"

"Sure, Bones, perfectly normal. Sometimes you just have to, you know, let it all out. Get it off your chest. It's okay. I'm here for you."

That statement made her cry but harder again, just when she seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Booth?"

"Hm."

"Don't ever die on me again."

"I promise you I'll do my best." He grinned. This might seem like a bad joke to some persons, but his Bones was serious about it. Dead-serious.

_Nice pun there, bud._

His shirt was wet from her tears and she snuggled into him some more, gratefully accepting his comfort as he held her tightly and whispered soothing words to her. Hell, it was what managed to calm down Parker when he was crying his eyes out. Apparently a very effective method for his partner as well, for she gradually stopped shaking and her crying subsided, until she was quiet and practically sitting on his lap.

They stayed like that for several minutes, until Booth felt his legs begin to tingle and he softly said her name. He got no reaction.

"Bones?"

Again, nothing. He cradled her head in the crook of his elbow and with his other hand wiped some curls out of her face. Ah, she was sleeping.

Oh.

What was he to do with a sleeping Bones in his lap? It seemed cruel to wake her. But he couldn't leave her on the couch, that was just careless.

He let his gaze wander through the apartment, and guessed that the dark, wooden door on the opposite side of the living room looked promising to be her bedroom. He'd never been there before. Was it off-limits? Should he leave her on the couch? And do what, exactly? Leave? Stay? His mind battled between what seemed the appropriate thing to do and what seemed the right thing to do. Hell, he was going with his gut on this one. She was asleep, after all. Wouldn't know a thing. In the morning she would, but that wasn't until next morning.

Booth pushed one arm under her knees and the other around her back and under her arm. Her head fell against his chest as he scooped her limp body into his arms and stood up from the couch. Careful not to bump into any furniture on the way, he carried her across the living room and realised that he was going to have to push down the door handle to her bedroom. He managed just in time, with his elbow. She'd almost slipped from his arms in the process, and he sighed in relief. Dropping Bones on the floor, now _that _would be inappropriate.

He walked into her half-dark bedroom and reached the bed in a few steps. He gently lowered her onto the covers and proceeded to take off her boots. Man, if she were to wake up right now... he was dead meat.

Fortunately for him, she did not wake up, not even when he carefully removed her green jacket. He liked her style; it was very feminine, very classy.

Okay. She would at least be comfortable now, but how was he going to get her under the covers? All right, he would look for some other blanket to keep her warm. As he went through some drawers, he kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was still asleep. He didn't want to be called a burglar, either.

Finally, he found it. A plain red blanket, but it was a warm one, so it would suffice. He draped it over her form and couldn't resist placing a kiss on her forehead. He did the same with Parker, to 'kiss away the bad dreams'. He figured it wouldn't hurt. Plus she looked adorable.

_Very cute, Doctor Brennan._

He smirked at his own thought and sighed, deciding the right _and _appropriate thing to do now was to leave her be and take the couch.

--

Her eyes shot open at the loud bang that reverberated through her apartment.

_Who's in my apartment? _was the first thing she thought. She pricked up her ears and threw the blanket off of her, not taking the time to wonder how it got there, or even how she had got from the couch with Booth to her bed.

She grabbed the bat she kept under the bed in case of an emergency and opened the door to peek through the crack. Nothing moved, but she was convinced there was someone in her apartment. She'd heard the noise, loud and clear. Her mind wasn't fooling her; she was certain.

It stayed quiet, so she took a tentative step into her living room. Suddenly, a loud groan erupted from her couch, which... was completely impossible of course, because couches didn't groan. It had to be the intruder. Had he stumbled and fallen? Well, she was going to make sure he wasn't getting to his feet again.

With big steps she approached the couch and swung the bat backwards, ready to strike at the head or whichever other limp of the intruder she could hit.

A fuzzy head appeared, and she braced herself, ready to take a swing at it.

"NO! BONES STOP THAT!" the head shrieked and held up a hand in defence. "It's me Bones, it's Booth! Jesus Christ you gotta watch what you swing that thing at. Damn it I nearly lost my head because of you," he muttered as he grabbed the table and used it to get to his feet.

Brennan was still in the attack-position when he met her eye. He stood mere inches away from her as his gaze alternated between her eyes and the bat, trying to get a message across, but not succeeding.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" she asked him, puzzled.

In reply he snatched the bat from her grip.

"There's nothing wrong with my eyes, Bones, I was merely quietly _suggesting_ that you put that thing down since clearly I'm not an intruder."

Brennan watched as he turned and threw the bat on the couch, his movements betraying his irritation towards her. Or towards the bat that was about to be the end of his head, perhaps.

"What are you doing here, Booth?"

"You invited me," he explained irritably, not bothering to run a hand through his hair, that was sticking in all directions.

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Oh. I didn't remember that." She paused as he regarded her with disbelief. "Oh."

"Oh?" he repeated angrily. She was getting on his nerves, now. First that God damned couch which would have caused him scoliosis had it housed him for another minute, then his own partner trying to swing his head off his neck, _then _that same partner annoying him some more. A man could only take so much.

"The second 'oh' was to indicate a moment ago I suddenly remembered inviting you in. Sorry for almost bashing your head in by the way."

"Apologies accepted. Look, Bones, since you're clearly doing okay again, I'd better go, because, honestly, I'm getting scoliosis from that couch of yours."

He turned to get his jacket and felt his pockets for his car keys. Brennan regarded him, her brow furrowed.

She realised she'd been blissfully oblivious of what had occurred that day for the few hours she'd been asleep and the few minutes of focus on incapacitating an intruder. Now, there was the sharp sting again, as if acid had been poured into an open wound.

"Wait, don't go," she stopped him.

"Yeah yeah, I'll hurry up so you can get back to- What?"

"Don't leave, please, Booth," she pleaded. "You don't have to sleep on the couch anymore, but don't leave, okay?"

"Why?" Now he was thoroughly confused.

"Because I don't- want to be alone tonight," she admitted shyly.

"Well... all right," Booth relented and proceeded to take off his jacket for the second time that night. She walked up to him and met his eyes. Part of him was doing flip-flops in his stomach, another part of him was slightly suspicious. Okay. Whaaaaat exactly was she thinking?

"Come on," she said simply and turned towards the bedroom, "The bed is more comfortable than the couch, I can assure you," she added and briskly walked away from him. Booth's eyes widened at her implication – hell, that was notan implication so much as an _invitation_ – but decided it would be more trouble to drive home now than to cross the space to her bedroom and give in to a peaceful sleep. A little voice in his head giggled.

_Sharing a bed with Bones..._

"Shut up," he snapped between clenched teeth.

"Booth- are you coming?"

"Yeah... yes! Coming Bones!"

He quickly made it to the bedroom and swallowed as he watched his partner throwing back the covers and get in bed.

"Close the door, Booth," she pointed out.

"Oh. Sure."

After the door was closed, he took off his bright-coloured socks and hopped in on the other side of the bed.

Darkness surrounded them, and he heard his partner move next to him, probably getting comfortable. Wow. This was pretty intimate. Guards down, bodies relaxed, sweet dreams. Hm. Naw, that didn't bother him.

The second the thought had left his mind and he closed his eyes, ready to surrender to the darkness that was already pulling at him, she moved again. Soon, he felt her warm body against his and her fingers seeking his hand. It was just sweet, the way she looked for comfort, placing her independent woman-attitude in a box and showing her vulnerable side.

She'd found his hand, but he pulled it away, startling her, the realisation hitting her that she'd crossed his boundaries. Oh God. Stupid, stupid, stu-

At that moment, she felt his hand under her head, quietly inviting her to lie on his arm. A sigh of relief escaped her, and she gratefully snuggled against him and felt his arms around her, keeping her warm and safe. Today, her trust in humans had once again been shattered, but still she knew that if any man could be trusted, it was her partner, it was Seeley Booth. He hadn't left her. He'd even come back from death – albeit a fake one. Maybe it was time to acknowledge how much he really meant to her. Maybe it was time she faced the fact that if there was one person who was able to make her feel better, it was him. Booth fixed things. He really did.

"Thank you for staying Booth."

-- _The End __--_


End file.
